Hi everyone I have 20D with the kit lense. I shoot mostly indoors and have been doing a lot of model type photography. Sometimes the work space is really confined like hotel rooms or houses and I have to get the persons whole body in the shot (head to toe). This kit lense is the only lense I have ever tried and I mostly only end up using it in the 18 - 25 range.

I have heard the best spot for the kit lense is shooting in the f11+ range but as I'm shooting people I can't slow the speed down enough to make that work lol. So I end up using it wide open with usualy a speed of 160.

I use a lot of light home depot halogen work lights + flash always lol.

I have the money to buy one lense this week and only want to spend the money if it will really help...as I don't have the experience with anything else.

A rather cheap option is a prime lens - perhaps the 50mm f1.8 if you can only afford a little bit; the 85mm f1.8 if you can afford some more. A little more again would get you the 100mm f2.8 Macro - that's a good portrait lens, but a bit far from the range you specified. All these lenses will suck in much more light than the 18-55, giving you a lot more latitude in low light conditions.

For about the same money as the 100mm Macro you have another option: the 17-85mm IS - that's quite a good lens for the price and encompasses the range you're using. It's only f4-5.6, but the image stabiliser means you can hand-hold a slower shutter speed.

For a whole lot more money (probably over double the 17-85) there's the 24-70 f2.8L - a fabulous lens, though. Or if you must have 18-25, there's the 16-35mm f2.8L - another excellent lens, and very slightly cheaper than the 24-70. Neither of these lenses is lightweight, though.

More realistically, perhaps you might consider the 17-40mm f4L zoom - it's a lot less money (a bit more than the 17-85, but about half the 16-35), includes the range you want, and weighs rather less. It works well on the 20D.

One thing you gotta say about the Canon lenses - there are HEAPS of reviews of them on the web - Google will find you plenty of reading

__________________they say you have to take a thousand bad photos before you can take a good one - I have mastered the bad photos part...

BUT that being said, I come here because I assume you guys have the most experience with models/people pictures.

I don't need reviews on what lense takes the best picture of a desert or how a lense performs taking pictures of alleyways lol or shots of lightbulbs and cell phones lol.

I just would like to know what everyone uses and would recommend...or would get for themselves

Thanks CC for your suggestions. I've used that kit lense for a year now so I'm ready to move up to something better...I'm willing to buy whatever might be best. I wish I had more experience with different equipment but I don't so I'm relying on your opionins and experience

Careful... They just talked me into buying a 24-70mm f/2.8L for my 20D and lemme tell ya, I lo-o-ove it! Its a biggun, but damn its fast, crisp and versatile. My 17-85mm is officially out of service and collecting dust. My 24-70 and my 70-200 2.8's are all use, with exception to my 50mm prime on rare occasions.